Separator for secondary-battery plates.



10.825,837. Y PATENTBD JULY 1o, 1906.

-.L. W.- HoRToN.

SEPARAOR FORSBGONDARY BATTERY PLATES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JULY 1o L. W. HORTON. SBPARATOR- TOR vSECONDARY BATTERY PLATES.

APPLIGATIOL lILED MAE.17.|1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

f 272/9 leases .To alt whom, it 711 wy conce-77715;.

UNITED `-'jsfrniiss.- PATENT. OFFICE LEONARD WHEATON HOFRTON, OF PROVIDENCE,.RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO'IHE RHODE ISLAND ELECTROMOBILE COMPANY, OF PROVIDNCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OFMAINE,

SEPA-mtos Fon sEooNDAnY-sAi'TEnY Pi ArEs.

Be it known that I, 'LEONARD WHEATON HoRToN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Providence, in the count of Providence and State of Rhode Islanzl have invented new and useul Improvements in Separators forSecondary-Battery Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention re ates to separators for secondary-battery plates.

- It relates particularly to' a new and im proved separator especially adapted for use with plates having a large surface of exposed active material. i

It is also" intended especially for use with,

batteries that are subjected at times to heavy discharges and rough uses, such conditions being met with in automobiles, autoboats, &c.

l The object of the invention is to 'furnish a separator which shall bind and. securely hold the active material in place, shall he 'lat against the surface of said active material, at-

the same time allowing ree access of the excitin fluid tothe active surface and for the located between the circu ation of the acid and escape of the developed gases.

Broadly considered, my invention comprises a separator for secondary battery plates formed ofl any suitable material, as

ereinafter setforth, in which acid-wells are bounding surfaces of said se arator.

In t e drawings, Figure 1`is a perspective. view of the two parts of the separator united and showing the arrangement of the vertical and horizontal'acid-wells. Fig. 2 is a similar view offone of the parts ofthe separater-as shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a crosssection of Fig. 1 on the line of oneof the rows of perforations of the surface of the separator. Fig. 4 is a modified construction showing one method byjwhich the halves of the separator are held to ether. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through ig. 4 when the two halves have been ut together. Fi 6 is a perspective view ofthe two parts of t e separator, the same having both the longitudinal and transverse passages shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and alsobeing joined, to'gether by the in- :Bpeclcation of Letters- Patent. Application filed latch i7, 1904. Serial No. 19`8l56 'Patented July 10,1906.

shown in Fig. 6 and on the line of. one of the rows of perforations 3. `Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent the two 4halves of aseparator having perforations 3 extending from the outer sur'- ace to the inclcsed acid-wells foried by the longitudinal andtransverse groottes 4 and 5, arranged at practically right Aangles to'v each other, shown in Fi The two placed face to face, tened together in any suitable manner, or, as

their relative arrangement being shown in Fig. 4, on`e of the plates 6 may be 'tion to the amount of active material e'x-q posed to the excitin fluid' but under the chemical changes taling place in the batt'ery the activeimaterial expands and unless supported will fall from thegrid and greatly impair the efficiency o f the battery. Hence, the modern storage battery is simply a oompromise between too much grid and too little support for the active material. The grid or core'should vbe merely a support and conductor and not take part in the electric action. By using my separator I am enabled 2. v halves of the separators may be with abutting edges fas impervious or porous; 1

l .parts of the separator joined together as to secure a `maximum of active material exposed to the exciting fluid and a minimum of grid. By this means I obtain a lighter, more compact, and more eiiicient battery,

because I can make my plates thinner, since I use practicall `all the active surface. It is a known fact t at if a large surface batteryl is built light enough to meet the require- `mcnts of road-vehicles without special retaining devices for the active material itwill tear itself t9 pieces and destroy itself by sliort circuits; (To rom dy the defects in existing structures, If roceed as follows: -I

Amo

make illy-separator' o an acid-resisting matcrial, preferably porous, with al series of aci dfwells 4 5 situated within and inclosed by 4 in both halves of the se said grooves in one half-p ate only, as shown' in Fig. 4.

tive material of an abundance of the exciting' iiuid.

Instead of forming the longitudinal grooves rater I may form In order, however, to provide better passage-way for the excitin Huid, I ma form the transverse grooves in t e other hal as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 5. The

two halves of the separator' are united; so that composed voi parts which are united ,f but it is evident that it vcould hemade in1 one piece, whatever the material used, this being-sim# they form a single plate.

Instead of employing twosimilarly-grooved parts of the separator when I make it in two parts, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, ad 3, I may employ only one such part and use in connectien therewith aperfectly plane art. .I prefor generally to use the two imilIdrly-grooved parts as I thus obtain dee racid-wells.

fin rigs. 6, 7, s I have shown the interlockingmeens (illustrated in Fi s. 4 and 5) applied oth longitu inal transverse ass es, as shown in Figs. 1,

to the separator, having 2, and 3. In 1g. 8 t e transverse passages 5 are` shown in dotted lines.

By using my improved perforated separator provided with the internal acid-'wells I am enabled to cover and hold firmly in place the entire active surface, the only portions not covered bein simply the points where the porous charme s or perforations are opposite the active surface. Hence the active material eannotcrack out and fall into short circuits between theplates. If the acid-wells were located next the active material, it would leave an amount 'of the active material equal to their areal unprotected, and under the shocks, jars, and extraordina .demands for current incident to autovehic es a considerable amount of the active material must become detached and not only useless, but injurious. The perorations and the Wells are made as lar e and numerous as is consistent with. the o 'ects aimed atname ly, sufiicient strengt and perfect access to the active material of the exciting fluid. I4 can make my se arator of any material resisting the action o the acid of the battery, s uch as wood, rubber, (porous or perforated, or both porous and perforated,) celluloid,

' manufacture.

arator a thin porous or perforated sheet--say :rubber or vegetable fiber-betwee'n the separater and the sitive plate, as I believe it prolonga the 'li e of the se arator by removing it farther awayfrom t e nascent oxygen that is developed at the surface of the plate during the chemical oprations takingplace in the battery.

My separator is shown inthe as Y ply a detail of convenience or expense of Having' thus fully described my invention, what. I elai-mis- 1.- A separator 85.' for secondary --bcttery-.u

plates having internal acid-wells-embtaeedwithin the bounding surfaces, said 'separator comprisingtwo parts and' arra face, and medns for locking Sai parte together.

ed fade vto v2. A separator for secondary plates having internal. acid-wells embracedwithin its bounding surfaced said separator comprising two ,parts arranged face to face and a tongueandgroove connection between said parts.

3. A separator for secondary -battery plates having internal acid-wells embraced within its bounding surfaces, said-separator comprising two parts arranged face to. face and interlocking means for holdlngsaid parts together.

4. A separator for secondary battery lates comprising two parts arranged face to ace, the' adjacent faces of said parts'being provided.' with "longitudinal and 'transverse IOO grooves, rovidingintereommunicating aeidwells wit 1in the bounding surfaoesof the separator. ,/j,

.In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presen-ce of two subscribingwitnesses.

'I LEONARD WIIEATON HORTON.

Witnesses:

W. B. SNOW, A. S'rn'rsoN.

IIO 

